Can-handling apparatus



F. PILLEY CAN HANDLING APPARATUS Sept. 23

Filed July 15 1921 l 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Frank/ z! Sept. 23 1924.

F. PILLEY CAN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 15. 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 2Sept. 23 1 F. PILLEY CAN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 15. 1921 7Sheets-Sheet 4 M m T 8 A N I R 0 1 l 1 r P I 1 1k 7 A n .QmQ 5 A3 Mk WM,

Sepi. 23, 1924. 1,509,254

F, PILLEY CAN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 15. 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 5Frank/ llie I 5y v g m Sept. 23 1924.

F. PILLEY CAN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 15. 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 6mswzm Se t. 23. 1924. V

- F. PILLEY CAN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 15 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 AY'TU/CNE V Patented Sept. 23; 1924.

UNITED STATES PA-TEN FRANK mung or Kansas orrY, inrs'sou'ar CAN-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Application flIed July 15, 1921. Serial ."No/t84 842.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

citizen of the United States, Kansas City, in the county of residing atoiis step r from the receiving end of any apparatus to it known that I,FRANK rILLEY, a the dischargin end thereofsothat the varis of limping,vsteaming, cleaning,

Jackson and up-ending and re-delivering the can in un- State ofMissouri, have 'invented certain broken continuity.

new and useful Improvements; in Can- Handling Apparatus; and I dofollowing to be a full, clear, and? exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use reference marked is primarily; intended to provide meanswhereby a can of -m1lk or cream can be which'form a part of this specifithe same, refernection with ence being had to the accompanying draw-1n..wh1ch- :Thepeculiarly novel arrangement of my declare the apparatus,together with "such novel details of construction as assist in carryingout the purpose thereof will be apparent by refer ence to 1 thefollowing description in conthe accompanying drawings,

Fig; l'is a top planview of anapparatus constructed in accordance withmy inventlon.

h Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective viewof for handling dairy cansand-the invention the can, emptying apparatus,

the liquid mixing tank and part of the conveyor 'for causing the cans tomov from the empty introduced at the receivin .end of the ap- ;ingmechanism to the can steaming-and paratus to be automatica ly conveyedto -,washing mechanism.

a mixing vat' where the contents of the can will be mechanically dumpedinto; the mixing vat and. the can then passed "in inverted position to a;can .cleaning mechanism, thento a can Washer, and after leaving the canwasher, to a can up-ending mechanism, from which it will be passed to aconveyor 0;- runwayto be deposited at the other end 0 arranged adjacentto thefinlet'so, that the cans may betaken from the cars filled withcream or milk; passed through the various steps of the apparatus todischarge the con tents, clean" and up-end the can and be deposited at athe original shipper with a minimum loss of time.

It is to be understood that the venous steps of handling the, can fromthe time, it

is introduced? to the receiving end of the of apparatus until the timeitpassesofl' the discharge will be entirely automatic and ofmechanical,requiring no special personal controlling device. for thecans entering the attention on the part of operators other el than thatrequired to observe the general er functioning of the apparatus.

means has been point adjacent to the car so of 'that theempty cans canbe re-shipped to the 3 is a perspective view of the dis- Fig. 4 isasectionalview on the line ll; of Fig. 2, showing the can on'the elevator of the can emptying mechanism-" Fig. 5 1s a slmllar vlew )Fig. 6is adetail view of the can elevator inits normal position. Fig. 7 is asimilar view in its dumpin position.

Fig. 8 is a ragmentary perspective view the motor or elevating mechanismfor can dumping elevator.

' showing the'can the apparatus, preferably conveniently elevated.to..dump1ng posltlon.

ot the elevator:

: Fig. 9 is asectional view of the track'f.

or conveyor between the the can washing machine; p

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view a portion of said conveyor. Fig.11 is a fragmentary perspective view an intermittently operating checkor feed mixing vat and evator,

am not aware that any one, prior-to -the varidus'po'sitions of the cansthrough Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, perspective view an intermittentlyoperating check or de; F am aware that heretofore mechanical tent'forcontrolling the feed of the cans to provided for ,up-ending cans ,theand for sterilizing them and washing them;

of operations.

Referring nowhto the drawings by nu- The carriage is ada-p'tedto floatin the merals of reference i 1' designates the [receiving conveyor and 2a scales. platform upon which the pans may be weighedand interposedbetween the receiving and discharging end of. the con veyor l but in thepath of the cans as they move pyer it. 3 is a can emptying mechanism/4is a mixing vat for mixing the va-' rious grades and consistencies-ofcream so as to provide a uniform produce; ,5 is the can steaming,s'ection to admit steam into the can so asto dislodge any particles ofcream or milk adhering tothe can and allow-them" to drop into the vat."6 is a runpoint adjacent to the vat 4 and interposed between therespective ends in a scale platform 2, which may or may not be a part ofthe apparatus. If it is used, however; it is serviceable in weighing thecans so as to determine that the quantity of milk or 'creaminvoiced isin the can and so that the shipper may get proper credit for hismaterial.

If this scale is included as part of the apparatus I may employ barriers13 and 14, one in front .of the scale platform and the other across thescale platform so that one can or a group of cans for a. particularshipper may be fed onto the platform and Weighed while the other cansareheld back.

After the cans leave the weighing platform they may pass onto the canemptying mechanism 3, by means of which the contents of the cans areemptied into the vat 4, it being customary in dairies and the like todeliver milk or cream from a number of cans into a vat and mix thevarious contents togethen'so as to provide a uniform grade of milk :orcream. 7 The can emptymg mechanism is best shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6,7,8, 11 and 12.

Two standards 15 and 16 are provided adjacent to the mixing vat 4 andthey are I provided at their upper ends with laterally curved,channel-shaped guides 17 and 18, the upper extremities of which areconnected by a fulcrum rod or rest 19 having an offst portion 20 againstwhich the neck or constricted portion of the can may rest as it is beinginverted by the carriage, as will be apparent hereinafter.

, One or both of the standards 15 and 16 may be braced by one or morediagonal braces 21, if desired.

' resting upon the horizontal guides when moved 'to either its dumpingposition or back to its receiving position becausethere is no fixedpoint about which the carriage moves.

The form of carriage illustrated in the drawings consist of a skeletonback wall comprising uprig ts or verticals 22 and 23 supporting thefloor or horizontal side bars 24 and 25 so that a substantiallytriangular frame is 'provided. The transverse or horizontal floor bars24 and 25 are connected to the verticals by the diagonal braces 26and-27. The verticals are connected by the horizontal bars 28, 29 and'30, it being obvious that any number of transverse bars m'aybe providedto make the carriage sufficiently rigid.

The bar 30 supports a curved strap 31, which constitutes a seat orsaddle against which the upper portion of the can 32 may rest, thecircumferential or' body portion of the can 32 being also adaptedtobereceived by a semigcircular'strap or saddle 33 carried by the diagonalbraces 26 and 27 so that when the can is received upon the roll-.

ers 34, journaled in the floor bars 24 and I 25, it will be heldagainst,movement so that it can be swung with'the carriage into dumping,position, there being stabilizing, upstanding fingers 35 extending fromthe bar 30 to fit ver the rim of. the conical breast portion 36 of thecan 32, as will be apparent by reference to Fig. ,2. The carriage iscapable of having an upwardly swinging movement imparted to it by asuitable motor or elevator, the movement of the carriage beingresponsive to certain guiding mechanism which I": wi1l now proceed todescribe. Q At the upper ends of the verticals 22 and '23 are rollers37and 38' which ride in the,

channel guides 17 and 18 of the-uprights 15 and 16.1 The uprights 15 and.16 carry triangular guide-b'ars 39 and 40, the angles of which extendin the direction (if the receiving end of the floor of the carriage andthe lower guide bar'members of the guides 39 and 40 are provided withguides 41 and 42 to maintain the lower rollers 43' the verticals-22 and23 in contact with the lower rails of the triangular guides so that whenthe carriage is raised in the guide'ways 17 and 18, .the rollers 41 and42..will ride on the bottom rails of the triangular guides to swin thebottom or floorof the carriage upwardly and laterally to an invertedposition, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby inverting the can seats todischarge its contents into the mixingvat 4. The, can; at this time, iside rails 45 which constitute a grid over t e mixing vat and also serveas skids or runways so that the can may slide from left to ri ht afterconveyed to the can steamin or sterilizing .mechanism 5. The rod 19 wich constitutes a tie rod for the uprights 17 and 18 is offset at 20 toclear the can as the carriage. moves into dumping position, enabling thecan to readily reverse from normal to dumping position withoutcontacting with the rod 19.

that the verticals 22 and 23 carry hookshaped members 46 and 47, whichare adapted to swing about the axes of the ends of the rod 19 and whenthe carriage is in its dumping position, as shown in'Fig. 5, the hooksmay abut against the end portions of the rod which then constitute stopsto stabilize the carriage as the can is discharging its contents 'intothe vat 4.

There is means provided for controlling the feed of the cans through thefloor of the carriage and such means is controlled from thecarriage. Forexample, in thevertical web of the angle side bar 11 is a centrallypivoted lever 48, having elongated slots 49 and 50 therein, which areengaged by the ends 51 and 52 of the levers-53 and 54 on the stringers55 and 56 connected to the angle bars 10. and 11, as clearly indicated,in;Figs.

pivoted dogs 61 and 62 by 66 (see Fig. 11),. L

2 and 11.

Thelevers 53 and 54have bifurcated ends 57 and 58, which engage the pins59 and 60 on the-pivoted dogs 61 and 62, the dogs 63 and 64 beingconnected to complementary the pins 65" and One end of the lever 48 isprovided with a pin 67 engaged by the bifurcated end 68 ofthe pivotedlever 69 which has an offset portion 70 connected to the guard 42 by a'spring71'. Across the top edge ofthe offset portion 7 O of the lever 69extends a tripping rod 72, carried by the floor bars 24 and 25 oftheca'rriage. When the rod 7 2 bears upon the offset portion 7 O of thelever 69, theofi'set,

portion will /be depressed, swinging the bar 6'9about its pivot 73,raising one end of the lever 48 and depressing. the other. 'Theree fore,when the rod 72 bears upon the end of the bar 7 0, the dogs 61 and 63will retract below their stringers so as to allow. a can to pass ontothe-carriage but the dog 62 and 64 'will hold back the remainingcansiuntil the carriage starts to move upwardly, when the dogs 62 and 64will moverbelow the'upper edge of their stringers, allowing-a can to,

pass toward thedogs 61 and63 which will then be extended above theirstringers -to hold back the first can from passing onto the carriageuntil the carriage has gone back to the posltion shown in Fig. 2. 1

This alternating operation will be efiec-- tive in feeding one can toposition read to move onto the carriage but the can wil .be held againstmoving onto the carriage until the carriage has completed its cycleof'operation; that is, until it has moved to dumping position and backto can-receiving position.

It may be that under certain conditions the-can-receivingcarriage willhave completed its cycle of operations and be ready to receive the canwith the rod 72 restlng upon the portion 70 of the bar or lever 69' Byreference to Fig.2 itwill be observed before the can on the grid orrails. 45 will have moved away. .In such event, the advance of the canontothe carriagewill be opposed by a can-controlled deten-t or dog 74carried by the stringer 54 on the opposit-e side to that from which thedogs 62- and 64 are pivoted. The dog 74 is provided with a pin 75 en'aged bythe bifurcated end 76 of the lever 7 pivotedat 7 Band having anend 79 projecting through the vertical web of the an le side bar 10, tobe engaged by the slotted pivoted at 82 and extending to a point adacentto the upright 15 where it is-con nected to a' lever 83 by a link rod orwire 84. The lever 83 is pivoted to the top of the upright 15 and it has2. depending arm 85 with a lateral can rest or engagin portion 86.Therefore, when the can is re eased onto the grid bars 45,, its neckflange will rest on the portion 86 depressing one endof the arm 83 andraising the link 34 so that the dog 74 will be projected beyond theupper edge of the stringer 54; hence the can cannot move toward thecarriage while another can is resting on the grid and depressing the arm85. As soon asthecan is re- -moved from contact with the portion 86 ofthe arm 85, the tension spring 87 connected to the lever-83 and to theupright 15 will pull down) on the lever 83 so that the ing the bar 81'toraise the slotted end thereof, raising the outer end of the lever 77depressing the bifurcated end 76 thereof and withdrawing the projectingend of the dog 74 below the top edge of the stringer 54. .Then the canpreviously released by the dogs 62 ,and 64 can pass onto the carlink 84'will be moved downwardly, actuatportion 80 of tlie'bar "81,--

riage, ready .to be raised again in the cycle of operations.

These movementsca'n take place provided" the level of theliquid in thetank 4 has not risen high enough to actuate the float .88,

which is connected to a lever '89 pivoted at 90 and having one endconnected to the arm83 by the link 91. If the level of. the liquid inthe tank 4'does raise the float '88,-

the link'91 will be caused to pull down on i the lever 83 insubstantially the same way as the lever would be actuated if acan-rested on 86. Then the dog 74will project above the. springer 54'and: prevent movement of the can until the level in the tank 4 recedessuflicientl'y to allow the float 88 to drop enough: to permit the spring87 to withdraw the dog 74 through the link connec-.

tions above described.

The elevator'for the carriage is shown as a hydraulic motor consistingof 9. cylinder 92 and a piston 93. The piston 93 is connected to abracket 94 on the back frame of the carriage by a piston rod 95, throughthe medium of a pivot 96. Therefore, when the piston is raised, thecarriage will be elevated to swing about the axis of the rollers 37 and38 and at the same time have a floating engagement with the guides sothat it can raise and swing at the same time until-the carriage assumesthe position shown in Fig. 5, at which time the can can be inverted, asindicated in the figure to discharge its contents.

The specific form of motor illustrated is best shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 8as consisting, besides the cylinder 92 and the piston 93, of certaincontrolling mechanism. The cylinder'92 has ports 97 and 98 adapted toalternately become inlet and outlet exhaustports, there being three-wayvalves 99 and- 100 for the ports 97 and 98, which are connected togetherthrough the medium of the crank arms 101'a-nd 102 by the link 103, theports being so arranged that when one is exhausting the other issupplying fluid. The fluid may be supplied through a manifold 104 toeither port and the valves alternately exhaust into the exhaust pipe105, as will be apparent by reference-to Fig. 8.

The lever arm 102 is connected to the inlet manifold 104 through themedium of a spring 106, one end 108 being connected to the arm 102 andthe other end connected to the lug 109 forming part of the band 110 sothat the normal tendency is to maintain one valve closed and the otheropen. The

detent lever 118 has a transversely disposed.

arm 120 with a ri ht angular can-engaging projection 121, whichis-positio-ned to extend slightly in advance" of the back end of thecarriage, as will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 2. a

The bracket arm 119 supports a pivot elbow-shaped latch 122, which has adetent hook 123 adapted to move over the upper edge of the arm 101 whenthe armhas moved low enough and it will normally be held in engagementwith the weighted end 124 of .the latch 122. Therefore, when the partsare in properposition and the can moves onto the carriage, its perimeterwill-strike against the; arm 121, moving the detent latch 117 out ofengagement with the head 115 and since the weight 116 preponderates'over the tension of the. spring 106, it will be apparent that theweight will drop, im-' parting a downward movement to the arm 101 of thevalve 99 and a similar movement to the arm 102 of the valve 98, thesynchronizing movements responding, to the connection 103 between thetwolovers. Such movement will result in'the lower end of the cylinderbelow the piston 93 being in communication with the pipe 104 and theupper end of the cylinder on the top side of the piston being incommunieationwith the pipe 105; therefore, liquid will enter the lowerportion of the cylinder to raise the piston and it, in turn, will swingthe carriage to the position shown in Fig. 5. During the upward movementof the carriage, the weight will be restored to the position shown inFig. 8 by the flexible connection shown as a chain 125, which has oneend connected to the head 115 and the other to the bar'28 of thecarriage so that when the chain .125 becomes taut, the upward pullinduced by the carriage will raise the weight to the position shown inFig. 8 and since the can is in raised position,'as shown in Fig. 5, andout of contact with the arm 121, it will be apparent that the detent 117will engage under the head 115 to hold the weight in its raised positionat the final upward movement of the carriage and a flexible connectionor chain 126, having one end secured to the carriage will pull. upwardlyon the weighted end 124 of the elbow-shaped. detent 122 so as to releasethe detent 123 from engagement with the lever 101. Then the valve 99will effect communication between the pipe .104 and the upper end of thecylinder 92 on top of the piston 93 and conse uently, effect dischargingcommunication etween the lower end of the cylinder 92 and the drain pipe"or exhaust 105 so that the hydraulic pressure will be from, the top ofthe piston to move thepiston downwardly and swing the carriage back tocan-receiving position; for example, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

. :When the carriage has gone back to its position as shown in Figs.,2and 4, obviously the rod 72, bearin down on will retract the dogs 62 an64, to allow the can held to be slid onto the floor of the carriage.However, if the can which has just been inverted on the grids 39 is notout of its dumping position, that is,.if it has "not moved away from theposition in which it was.

dumping, it will still be bearing on the arm 86 and through itsconnection with the dog or detent 74, will have the toe of the detentraised above the stringer 54so that the can cannot move onto thecarriage until a previously dumped can has moved off the grid or hasbeentaken away therefrom. Just as soon as. it has, however, the can movingon the contents into the vat.-

-'When the carriage moves .to its vertical or dumping position, the end127 on the rod 72 will contact with the free end of the.

pivoted finger 128, carried on the arm 129 pivoted to the standard 130.The construction of the finger 128 is such that the end 127 will rideover the free end on account of the pivot connection of the finger 128with the arm 129. When the carriage moves back to its can-receivingposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the end 127 will ride over the edgethereof and since the finger 128 has a rule joint connection with thearm 129, the arm will be drawn downwardly, pulling .on the flexibleconnection 130' passing over the pulley 131 and over the fixed pulley132 carried by the grid, the end of the connec tion 130 being secured toa slide 133 mounted in the grid'and having a pusher 134 at one endthereof to force the can away from* the dumping mechanism toward certainsteaming mechanism to then act on the can.

When the pusher 134 has acted and the end 127 moves off 128, the arm 129will be retracted by the weighted flexible connection 135 to be out ofthe way of the'n'ext can passing onto the grid. 1 v

The above described mechanism is provided to pbsitively remove the cansfrom the path of the carriage in case the regular forwarding meanspresently described does not-function quick enough, as 1t is notnecessary to have the two units operate in synchronism and any slightcongestion that might occur is compensated for in the flexible arm 131which is pivoted to the standa-rd I30 and held yieldingly in uprightposition by a spring 131" so that when the carriage descends and thepusher 134 is ob structed by cans for any reason whatsoever, there willbe nobreakage when the rod 127 strikes the finger 128 on account of theyieldable arm 131' which automaticallyfurnishes slack for the connection130 and permits the carriage to pass.

Qn the runway or tract sections 6, which cannect the rid over the vatwith the can washing mac ine 7 is a longitudinally slidable channel 136having pivoted dogs .137 mounted between the flanges thereof, one

end of each dog being heavier than the other so as to normally have atoe portion 138 in position to engage the cans to move themforward butto allow the cans to ride. over the toe portions by depressing them inthe reference' t0'.} Figs. 9 and 10.

channels, as will be well understood by 'The intermittent reciprocationof the can actuator or channel '1? 6. is caused by, an

.the pipe 142 which feeds so that they may make the turn at 140 but.

will not swing on their pivotal connections enough. to destroy theirpower toreci-procate the actuator channel 136 on its recovery 3 strokeor to its ret-ractive position. Thus the back and forth movement of the,channel 136 will move the cans along toward the washing machine.

As they pass over the guide or track portion 6, however, they will rideover the pivoted nozzles 141, radially disposed about them, theirconstruction being similar to that shown in my Patent No. 1,299,507 ofApril 8, 1919, so it is thought that it will be unnecessary tospecifically describe the nozzles and the ,manifold 143 with itsconnections in this application. Sufiice it to say that as the cans moveover the conveyor section 6,.they will turn the nozzles 141 by themovement of the cans so that there will always be a nozzle introducedinto the hollow portion of v the can to admit steam to both sterilizethe 6 into the washing machine 7, which may be of appropriateconstruction and which will wash the cans in the usual way in invertediill) position and pass them to the delivery end' 7 144 of thecanwashing machine.

The can washing machine is shown as provided with'a can guideway 145 andacan topguideway 146, the tops being shown as secured/to the cans bycoupling wires 147. In the side of the can cleaning machine is a slot148, in which is mounted an oscillatory bar 149, pivoted at one end andengaged at the other end by a reciprocatory pitman 150, which may bedriven by any suitable power. The bar 149 extends trans-,

versely of the machine and swings to nd fro under the action of thepitman to fleet the cans and their covers and said bar may be secured,to the links 139. to actuate the actuator'136. I

The mechanism of the can washing machine as heretofore explained per seconstitutes no part 'of the invention as such can .washing enachines'arewell known in the art. r

, Interposed between the end of the can washing machine and the runway 9is a can-up-ending mechanism including a supporting frame 151, at therear of which is journale a rock shaft 152, carrying a swinging cradleor basket 153 and operated the discharge conveyor or gravity runway 154.By arranging the apparatus in the form of a horseshoe the cans can befed at one end and be discharged at the discharge end of the machineadjacent to the receiving end so that the cans may be convenient lyobserved and handled by an operator or operators working between the twoends of the. apparatus and within easy reach of either end of theapparatus:

The specific construction of the vat may be varied. but the rotatingagitator 155 is shown as mounted on a shaft 156 and driven through themedium of the gears 157 and 158 from the shaft 159, which carries thepower pulley 160. t

Suitable superstructure may be provided, for example, side guard rails161 and 162, as shown in Fig. 2'.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the cans containing cream ormilk may be introduced at one end of the machine and automatically befed to the vat or condensing trough where they may be automaticallylifted and the contents dumped into the vat or.trough,"the motor beingunder the control of the cans and that the cans may be mechanicallyremoved from thevat to the steaming apparatus and from there to thewashing machine where they will pass throu h a can-up-ending v mechanismwhich wil automatically turn them end up and pass them onto a dischargeconveyor, the entire cycle of operation be in mechanically controlled,one mechanism being modified or controlled by the other so the necessityfor attendants will be materially reduced.

The apparatus described in this application is a material advance in thedairyin industry since the operation of the parts 0 the machine isositive and insures proper timing movem nt and accuracy of feed-for thecans through the various stages during the cycle of operations of themachine. The. ap-

paratus lnaterially enhances the handling of .thecans and insures theirbeing properly sterilized, cleaned and returned for re-shipping back tothe shippeig, the various steps in the cycle of operations following inthein proper sequence and their continuity of movements underthe controlof the mechanism co-ordinating to produce the desired result.

It is to beiunderstood that the steam n'ozzles adjacent to themixing vatdirect steam into the interior of the can to dislodge particles ofbutterfat which may be adhering to the can and which will not becomedislodged when the can is dumped. Then as the can passes onto the washinmachine, it is thoroughly washed, sterilized and dried before it leavesthe up-ending machine.

apparatus receiving thefcan and the particular type of washing machineemployed. I x

I may include certain sanitary features such as hinging the grid 45 at45' so that it may be swung out of the way for cleaning and sterilizingthe strainer 165 which lies immediately beneath the grid and preventsany foreign matter in the 'cream or which may fldlllild to the outsideof the can and become loosened in the emptying operation from enteringthe cream vat 4:. An apron 166' at one side, of the strainer preventscream from splashing out as the can is emptied.

What I claim and Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for handling milk cans, a receiving conveyor, amixingvat, in line with the receiving conveyor, a can emptying mechanismbetween the conveyor and the mixing vat onto which the can is delivereddesire to secure by by the conveyor, the can emptying mechanism havingmeans for lifting the can to a point above the mixing vat, a conveyortopaths through which the can is automatically passed and acan-up-ending mechanism at the end of the washing apparatus onto whichthe can is automatically delivered after it passes from the. washingapparatus and a delivering mechanism receiving the can from theup-ending mechanism. 4

2. In an apparatus for handling milk cans, a receiving conveyor, amixingvat, in' line with the receiving conveyor, a can emptying mechanismbetween the conveyor and the mixing vat 'onto which the can is deliveredby the conveyor, the can emptying mechanism having means for lifting thecan to a point above the mixing yet, a conveyor to receive the can ininverted position above the mixing vat, means for transferring the canfrom the lifting mechanism to the second mentioned conveyor, a canwashing apparatus through which the can is automatically which the canis automatically delivered after it passes from the washing apparatusand, a delivering mechanism receivmg the can from the up-endingmechanism, the whole being arranged in the form of a U shaped structureso that the part of the part delivering the can arein sgbs'tantiallylateral alignment.

3. In a milk can handling'apparatus, areneoaaca ceiving conveyor, a candumping mechanism in line with the conveyor, a mixing vat to receive theliquid from the dumped can, a can steaming mechanism, a conveyor forconveying the cans progressively past the steaming means,a can washingmeans, auto- 'Ihatic means for receiving the cans and passing them tothe washing means, a canup-ending means'automa ically receiving the cansfrom the discharge end of the can washing means and a conveyor forreceiving the up-ended cans.

4. An apparatus of the class described,

.com risin a receivin conve or a can dumpingmechanism on to which thecans pass from the conveyor, a vat into which the contents of the cansare dumpedby the upending mechanism, mechanical means for for dumpingthe cans,

moving the cans from the vat, a steaming mechanism over which theinverted cans are mechanically passed, awashing mechanism into which thecans are transferred, a can-up-ending mechanism onto which the cans aremechanically discharged and a delivery conveyor onto which the cans aredelivered from the up-ending mechanism.

5. A device of the class described comprising a substantially U-shaped'structure including/ means for receiving the'cans, means means forsteaming the cans, means for washing the cans, means for up-ending thecans and means for delivering the cans in the order named.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK PILLEY.

